THE WEEKEND AHEAD: USATF Lone Star GP, Stockholm Diamond League & Brooks PR on tap...
The USATF Lone Star Grand Prix in College Station, Texas, the Bauhaus Galan Diamond League meeting in Stockholm, and the Brooks PR high school all-star meet in Renton highlights this weekend's track and field action.
The US pro track circuit goes into College Station for the first time as USA Track & Field organizes the Lone Star Grand Prix meet at the home of Texas A&M's nationally ranked track team, E.B. Cushing Stadium.
Washington State alum CJ Allen (Paul Merca file photo), who ran in the first two Wanda Diamond League meets in China, is entered in the field in the 400 hurdles.
He faces a field that includes Ezekiel Nathaniel of Nigeria, who was the NCAA 400 hurdles champ for Baylor, and finished fourth in the finals of the 400H at the world championships in Tokyo.
Allen also goes against fellow American Trevor Bassitt, who finished ahead of him in both Diamond League races in China.
Texas A&M alum Sam Whitmarsh of the Brooks Beasts returns to his home track to run in the 800 meters. Whitmarsh, who did not have a good outing at the LA Track Fest two weeks ago, looks to bounce back.
He faces Abraham Alvarado of Mexico, who was second behind Brandon Miller in LA, along with USC alum Isaiah Jewett.
The meet begins at 1 pm Pacific/3 pm local time, and will be televised by NBC Sports and streamed on Peacock ($).
DIAMOND LEAGUE MAKES STOP IN STOCKHOLM SUNDAY...
Sunday, the Wanda Diamond League tour moves to Stockholm, Sweden for the Bauhaus Galan meet at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium.
Woodinville native Olivia Markezich, who competed in the two Diamond League meets in China, is entered in the steeple. She'll face a field that includes top seed Marwa Bouzayani of Tunisia, along with New Mexico alum Elise Thorner, who won the LA Track Fest two weeks ago.
Fellow Americans Gabby Jennings, Gracie Hyde, and Courtney Wayment are also in the field.
College Place native Kenneth Rooks, who was sixth two weeks ago in LA, is entered in his first Diamond League meet of the season.
Rooks, the Paris Olympic silver medalist, faces the defending Olympic champion in Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali, as well as the reigning world champion in Northern Arizona alum Geordie Beamish of New Zealand.
There are also five other steeplechasers ranked in the World Athletics top ten list entered in the field.
Flotrack ($) will start streaming the meet at 7 am Pacific in the USA.
BROOKS PR SUNDAY AT RENTON STADIUM...
One other significant competition happening locally is Sunday's Brooks PR meet at Renton Stadium, starting at 1 PM, featuring many of the country's top high school athletes.
According to meet organizers, the headline athletes include: Natasza Dudek, the reigning Brooks XC (formerly Foot Locker) champion, who is entered in the girls 2-mile; Andrew Jones, who has run a 12.97w in the 110 HH, and is looking to dip under 13 with a legal wind; Paige Sheppard, who set the meet record in the girls 800 of 2:01.50 last year; and Brian Burns, who broke 4 minutes in the mile Thursday night at the Hoka Festival of Miles HS race in St. Louis, running 3:59.70.
The Brooks PR Invitational will host the freshman boys and girls mile national championships for the first time in the meet’s history. Headlining the boy’s race is Olympia phenom, Quenton Lanese who ran 4:04.59 for the 1600m at the state meet last weekend- the freshman mile national record.
Flotrack ($) will stream the meet live if you can't make it to Renton Stadium.
paulmerca.blogspot.com will be on the ground in Renton Sunday.
AROUND THE OVAL...
In Täby, Sweden, Washington alum Scott Toney finished second in the Täby Stavhoppsgala pole vault meet Friday evening.
Toney cleared a best of 17-8.5 (5.40m) as Sweden's Oliver Sandberg won with a best of 18-0.5 (5.50m).
NOTE: World Athletics, the Wanda Diamond League, USA Track & Field, Brooks Running, and the Täby Stavhoppsgala contributed to this report.
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